Local jihadist killed in Syrian battle

Douglas McAuthur McCain, 33, converted to Islam, attended City College

This March 23, 2008 photo provided by the Hennepin County, Minn. Sheriff's Office shows Douglas McAuthur McCain. On Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014, a U.S. official said McCain, a U.S. citizen, is believed to have been killed in Syria and was there to fight alongside a terrorist group, most likely the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Hennepin County, Minn. Sheriff's Office)
The Associated Press

This March 23, 2008 photo provided by the Hennepin County, Minn. Sheriff's Office shows Douglas McAuthur McCain. On Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014, a U.S. official said McCain, a U.S. citizen, is believed to have been killed in Syria and was there to fight alongside a terrorist group, most likely the Islamic State group. (AP Photo/Hennepin County, Minn. Sheriff's Office)

A 33-year-old U.S. citizen who had lived in Spring Valley and attended San Diego City College died over the weekend as an Islamic militant fighter in Syria, U.S. officials confirmed Tuesday.

Some news organizations said Douglas McAuthur McCain belonged to the jihadist group Islamic State, which is locked in years-long combat with the Syrian government and moderate rebel groups in that country.

Islamic State, which envisions creating an empire based on its ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam, also has captured dozens of cities in northern Iraq in recent months and gained even more international attention this month by beheading American journalist James Foley.

In recent weeks, the top U.S. military officer and others have branded Islamic State as the gravest threat to American security since al-Qaeda hijacked commercial airliners to attack three East Coast sites on Sept. 11, 2001. President Barack Obama has allowed limited airstrikes against the group's soldiers in Iraq for an indefinite time, and this week he officially approved aircraft surveillance of Islamic State activities in Syria.

Two of the news reports about McCain cited unnamed U.S. authorities as saying he was killed during a battle against the U.S.-backed rebel group Free Syrian Army in the northern Syrian city of Marea, near the border with Turkey. They also said he was found with several hundred dollars and a U.S. passport on his body.

Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, verified some details of the case in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon from Washington, D.C.

“We were aware of U.S. citizen Douglas McAuthur McCain’s presence in Syria and can confirm his death," she said. "We continue to use every tool we possess to disrupt and dissuade individuals from traveling abroad for violent jihad and to track and engage those who return."

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said there's growing worry about Americans going to Iraq or Syria to wage battle for Islamic State -- and the possibility they may come back to the U.S. to do harm.

“We’re concerned about the fact that someone with a Western or a U.S. passport might return home and attempt acts of terrorism,” Psaki said. “And obviously, that’s something that’s been a big topic of discussion with the (United Kingdom) and other countries as well. Our view is we need to continue to assess and monitor closely what their capabilities are.”

The U.S. government didn't know that McCain was heading to Syria until he reached there, and it subsequently put him on a watch list of potential terrorists, according to The New York Times. The list is meant to trigger extra scrutiny if he tried to board any flight headed to the United States.

McCain was one of more than 100 Americans believed to have traveled to Syria in recent years to wage battle on behalf of Islamic groups. Such organizations, particularly Islamic State, are known for using social media, video postings on YouTube and other means to recruit Americans, Europeans and other foreigners.

One challenge for the operators of sites such as Twitter and Facebook is how to monitor content on what are fundamentally open forums, said Rebecca Coates Nee, a media studies professor at San Diego State University.